NEWS
The RCN warns against a two-tier system with HCA apprenticeships By Kat Keogh and Sally Gillen New apprenticeships for healthcare assistants who do not have the qualifications to undertake nursing degrees must not undermine the profession’s graduate-entry status, the RCN has warned. HCAs who want to train as nurses will be able to do a nursing higher apprenticeship, which will give them a qualification equivalent to a degree, under plans announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. But RCN head of policy Howard Catton said: ‘Of course it is right that we have the routes into nursing so that those who have the intellectual capacity can access courses, but we need to make sure we are not creating a two-tier system. ‘There is a significant issue about what the pathway will look like because the course will have to comply with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) education standards. ‘There are lots of questions here, such as who will fund the apprenticeships,’ Mr Catton added. ‘We also have no idea how many HCAs
will want to take this route. It could be hundreds or tens of thousands.’ Universities have raised concerns about the development of the higher apprenticeship in nursing. Chair of the Council of Deans of Health Ieuan Ellis said that one of the barriers for healthcare support workers in training to become nurses was a lack of funding support.
‘IT WILL HELP HCSWs BREAK THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING’ – Dan Poulter
‘A higher apprenticeship will not in itself tackle this issue,’ he added. There is already flexibility in work-based education said Mr Ellis, but ‘it is not clear what value this will add’. The announcement of a nursing apprenticeship comes in response to a recommendation in the government-commissioned report by journalist Camilla Cavendish published in July last year. She said HCAs often faced barriers to admission to nursing degree courses.
Health minister Dan Poulter, who is responsible for nursing, said: ‘This new apprenticeship will help healthcare support workers, who have demonstrated a track record of delivering high quality care, to get on in life and break through the glass ceiling that has prevented people from poorer backgrounds from entering nursing and other healthcare professions.’ A working group that includes Health Education England (HEE), the Department of Health and the NMC has been set up. Trusts including Northampton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have signed up to develop the apprenticeship standards. Independent sector employers Barchester Healthcare, Priory Group UK and Bupa UK are also involved. HEE is already running a pre-degree nursing pilot scheme whereby aspiring nursing students work as healthcare assistants for a year before applying for a university place.
A midwife is calling for sign language to become a compulsory part of nurse training to improve the care of deaf patients. Lesley Chan was inspired by her experiences with her young daughter Amelie, who has charge syndrome, a genetic condition that means she is partially sighted and has no hearing nerves. The nine year old, who has undergone more than 20 operations, is often frustrated when healthcare staff find it difficult to communicate with her during visits to hospital.
NURSING STANDARD
Ms Chan wants nursing students to learn key phrases to help communicate with deaf patients. She said essential words to learn include pain and medicine. ‘Communication is at the heart of what we do, and a few simple phrases would help,’ said Ms Chan, a midwife at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
‘Staff tend to talk directly to me rather than to Amelie, and that needs to change as she gets older and takes charge of her own care.’ Ms Chan was one of tens of thousands of front line workers, patients and the public who pledged to make a difference to the service as part of NHS Change Day. She was also on hand to encourage people to make pledges at last week’s NHS England health and care innovation expo held in Manchester. march 12 :: vol 28 no 28 :: 2014 9
ALAMY
KEY SIGNING PHRASES SHOULD BE PART OF STUDENT CURRICULUM
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The RCN warns against a two-tier system with HCA apprenticeships By Kat Keogh and Sally Gillen New apprenticeships for healthcare assistants who do not have the qualifications to undertake nursing degrees must not undermine the profession’s graduate-entry status, the RCN has warned. HCAs who want to train as nurses will be able to do a nursing higher apprenticeship, which will give them a qualification equivalent to a degree, under plans announced by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. But RCN head of policy Howard Catton said: ‘Of course it is right that we have the routes into nursing so that those who have the intellectual capacity can access courses, but we need to make sure we are not creating a two-tier system. ‘There is a significant issue about what the pathway will look like because the course will have to comply with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) education standards. ‘There are lots of questions here, such as who will fund the apprenticeships,’ Mr Catton added. ‘We also have no idea how many HCAs
will want to take this route. It could be hundreds or tens of thousands.’ Universities have raised concerns about the development of the higher apprenticeship in nursing. Chair of the Council of Deans of Health Ieuan Ellis said that one of the barriers for healthcare support workers in training to become nurses was a lack of funding support.
‘IT WILL HELP HCSWs BREAK THROUGH THE GLASS CEILING’ – Dan Poulter
‘A higher apprenticeship will not in itself tackle this issue,’ he added. There is already flexibility in work-based education said Mr Ellis, but ‘it is not clear what value this will add’. The announcement of a nursing apprenticeship comes in response to a recommendation in the government-commissioned report by journalist Camilla Cavendish published in July last year. She said HCAs often faced barriers to admission to nursing degree courses.
Health minister Dan Poulter, who is responsible for nursing, said: ‘This new apprenticeship will help healthcare support workers, who have demonstrated a track record of delivering high quality care, to get on in life and break through the glass ceiling that has prevented people from poorer backgrounds from entering nursing and other healthcare professions.’ A working group that includes Health Education England (HEE), the Department of Health and the NMC has been set up. Trusts including Northampton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have signed up to develop the apprenticeship standards. Independent sector employers Barchester Healthcare, Priory Group UK and Bupa UK are also involved. HEE is already running a pre-degree nursing pilot scheme whereby aspiring nursing students work as healthcare assistants for a year before applying for a university place.
A midwife is calling for sign language to become a compulsory part of nurse training to improve the care of deaf patients. Lesley Chan was inspired by her experiences with her young daughter Amelie, who has charge syndrome, a genetic condition that means she is partially sighted and has no hearing nerves. The nine year old, who has undergone more than 20 operations, is often frustrated when healthcare staff find it difficult to communicate with her during visits to hospital.
NURSING STANDARD
Ms Chan wants nursing students to learn key phrases to help communicate with deaf patients. She said essential words to learn include pain and medicine. ‘Communication is at the heart of what we do, and a few simple phrases would help,’ said Ms Chan, a midwife at Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
‘Staff tend to talk directly to me rather than to Amelie, and that needs to change as she gets older and takes charge of her own care.’ Ms Chan was one of tens of thousands of front line workers, patients and the public who pledged to make a difference to the service as part of NHS Change Day. She was also on hand to encourage people to make pledges at last week’s NHS England health and care innovation expo held in Manchester. march 12 :: vol 28 no 28 :: 2014 9
ALAMY
KEY SIGNING PHRASES SHOULD BE PART OF STUDENT CURRICULUM
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 13, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
